Exam View: 10 April 2018 Current Affairs

Current Affair of 10 April 2018, Exam View.

NATIONAL

Haryana Govt. to support TB patients

Haryana state government will provide special benefits, including nutritional support, to tuberculosis patients in an effort to eliminate the infectious disease by 2025.
“An incentive of Rs 1,000 would be given to private providers for managing TB patients on the notification till treatment outcome through DBT”
Slogan of the scheme is “TB Harega-Desh Jeetega”
Besides, free services would be provided to TB patients in government hospitals of Haryana, including sputum examination and X-Ray. For this, CBNAAT machines have been provided to all districts for accurate and quick diagnosis.

Maharashtra to start free chemotherapy units for cancer patients

The government of Maharashtra announced that cancer patients would be provided free chemotherapy treatment at district hospitals with the first phase of the plan starting in June.

Uttarakhand’s 2nd mega food park inaugurated

Harsimrat Kaur Badal inaugurates 2nd mega food park in Uttarakhand

The over 50-acre Himalayan Mega Food Park Private Ltd has been set up at a cost of Rs 99.96 crore and will benefit around 25,000 farmers in this and neighboring districts, Ministry of Food Processing Industries said in a statement.

The first Mega Food Park in the state, located at Haridwar, has already become operational.
The park will provide direct and indirect employment to 5,000 persons and benefit about 25,000 farmers in the CPC and PPC catchment areas.

First Meeting of the NE NITI Forum

The first meeting of newly constituted NITI Forum for North East was held in Agartala recently, to discuss ways to boost development projects in the states.
The forum will also focus on development of roads to enhance connectivity in the North East states, as well as begin Rajdhani Express trains to New Delhi.
The ‘NITI Forum for North East’ was constituted in February 2018 with an aim to ensure the sustainable economic growth of the North Eastern Region (NER) of the country and periodically review the development status in the North Eastern region. (ANI)

FM Gold Delhi change its frequency

Dabur India Complete purchase of South Africa firm

FMCG major Dabur India on Friday said it has completed acquisition of two South Africa-based companies — D&A Cosmetics Proprietary Ltd and Atlanta Body & Health Products Proprietary Ltd — through its subsidiary.

The company had last year announced that it will acquire the two personal care products companies in South Africa for a total cash consideration of 50 million rands (about Rs 250 million).
This is not Dabur’s first acquisition in South Africa. In 2016, it had earlier acquired a South Africa-based Discaria Trading (PTY) Ltd.

Govt approved linking of savings A/c & IPPB

The finance ministry has approved linking of savings bank accounts at post offices with IPPB accounts. This will enable post office account holders to transfer money from their account to any bank accounts.
IPPB is governed by Reserve Bank of India and banking service of post offices comes under the finance ministry. IPPB customers can use NEFT, RTGS and other money transfer services as available for any banking customers. Once POSB accounts are linked with IPPB, customers will be able to enjoy all money transfer service like other banks

INTERNATIONAL

Pakistan bans cryptocurrencies

In a major development, the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) has banned cryptocurrencies in the country(Pakistan).
While the volume of trading remains on the lower side in Pakistan, Bitcoin’s phenomenal rise in value during 2017 has tempted many to open accounts with various exchanges and trade.Google had bans cryptocurrency related ads
In a circular issued on its(SBP) website, the central bank said that virtual currencies like Bitcoin, Litecoin, Pakcoin, OneCoin, DasCoin, Pay Diamond or Initial Coin Offerings (ICO) tokens are not legal tender, issued or guaranteed by the Pakistan government.

LIFE

Four Kingfisher Species sighted in Krishna centuary

At least four kingfisher species are thriving in the Krishna Wildlife Sanctuary in Andhra Pradesh, adding beauty to the precious eco-region in India.
The four have been documented and photographed by a team of Wildlife Management Division, Eluru, under the aegis of wetland expert Allaparthi Appa Rao.
The Forest department team has stumbled upon them across the sanctuary during their field visits as a part of the fauna survey that is in progress.
The species have been identified as White-throated Kingfisher (Halcyon smyrnensis), Pied Kingfisher (Ceryle rudis), Black-capped Kingfisher (Halcyon pileate) and the Common Kingfisher(Alcedo atthis). “In India, it is learnt that 12 species can be sighted. The four sighted in the sanctuary are wetland dependents. The wetland ecosystem is the prime attraction for them,” says Sathiya Selvam, ornithologist and senior ccientist, Bombay Natural History Society. The conservation status of the four species is “least concern”.
The birds are thriving as the sanctuary is an ideal habitation for prey. The hunting of the fish by them in the serene backwaters surrounded by the lush green mangrove cover is a moment to capture and witness.

Celebrated task
“In the world of Fishing Cat that also thrives in the sanctuary, documenting the hunting behavior of the kingfisher species is the most celebrated task. The birds appear in myriad colours,” Mr. Appa Rao told The Hindu. Comparatively, the birds could be sighted in good number than the green bee-eater.
The wildlife authorities are producing a video documentary on the beauty of the sanctuary including the flora and fauna, highlighting the conservation methods including the mangrove restoration initiative. The survey on the fauna will help design a bird-voice responsive system proposed by the State Forest department.

Low cost weather modification technology

China is experimenting with a new low-cost weather modification system in a bid to increase rainfall on the Tibetan plateau.

The Tibetan plateau, Asia’s largest freshwater reserve, feeds the continents biggest rivers including the Yellow River, Yangtze, Mekong, Salween and the Brahmaputra.

As it is often called Asia’s ‘water tower’, the rivers serve as a lifeline for almost half the world’s population, flowing through India, Nepal, Laos and Myanmar and other countries.

China intends on building a network of fuel-burning chambers in select locations across the plateau.